HESPERIA • Medical marijuana users should be able to legally acquire pot in Hesperia, a spokesman for a nonprofit advocacy group told the City Council.

“We would love to work with the city of Hesperia to help provide safe access to these patients while keeping it out of the hands of our children,” said Kevin Sutman, who was one of about 20 members of the West Coast Patient Group, Inc. in attendance at the council meeting Tuesday night.

The group is hoping to form a collective within city limits. But first it’ll have to persuade the council to undo what it’s already done regarding medical marijuana dispensaries.

Five years ago, the City Council passed a resolution that prohibited groups from setting up a location in Hesperia. The resolution was designed proactively so Hesperia would not face similar problems that occurred in several Northern California municipalities.

“All these jurisdictions commented they would rather not have the dispensaries at all,” Principal Planner Dave Reno said.